Press Releases & Press Packs

07.04.03

SPORT BBCi

BBC Sport pounds the streets with Paula Radcliffe and 35,000 London Marathon runners

Extensive live coverage of The Flora London Marathon, the world's most prestigious road running event, can be seen exclusively on BBC Television on Sunday (13 April, 8.45am-2.00pm).

More than 35,000 runners are preparing to conquer the 26.2 mile course through the streets of London.

BBC Sport - across tv, radio and online - will be there for every stride to capture all the fun, excitement and spectacle that make the London Marathon unique.

And for the first time the Marathon will go interactive.

Viewers will be able to choose to watch the main terrestrial coverage, or if they have digital television they can choose to watch the men's race or the women's race uninterrupted.

In this, the 23rd year of the event, the London Marathon sees a strong elite field of world class marathon runners.

They include Olympic and World Champion Gezahegne Abera (Ethiopia) racing against three Kenyan runners in the men's race: the second fastest man in history Paul Tergat, the 23-year-old winner of the Berlin marathon Raymond Kipkoech and 26-year-old Daniel Njenga.

In the women's race, Paula Radcliffe returns following her sparkling debut last year. She takes on Romanian racer Constantina Dita and winner of the 2001 Chicago marathon Catherine Ndereba of Kenya.

Sue Barker and Hazel Irvine host BBC ONE’s live and uninterrupted coverage, moving to BBC TWO at 1.00pm for the latter stages of the race.

Highlights on BBC TWO from 6.40 to 7.30pm are presented by Hazel Irvine.

Sue and Hazel are joined by Steve Cram and Brendan Foster commentating on the elite races, wheelchair races and one of the most important elements in the London Marathon - the fun runners - many of whom help to make the London Marathon the UK's biggest annual fundraising event.

Ian Thompson, husband of competitor Tanni Grey-Thompson and fellow wheelchair athlete, joins the BBC Television team to comment on the wheelchair races and live reporting comes from Sally Gunnell, Roger Black, Juliette Ferrington, Phil Jones and motorbike reporters Richard Nerurkar and Peter Elliot.

Former winner and Olympic bronze medallist Charlie Spedding joins John Inverdale as he presents Radio Five Live's coverage between 8.30am and 12.15pm, with commentary on the elite races from John Rawling, Mike Costello and double Chicago Marathon winner Marion Sutton.

Reporting from the course is Nick Mullins at Tower Bridge, Sonja McLaughlan catching the celebrity runners at the start, David Croft in the Cutty Sark pub and Allison Curbishley at the finish line.

Sport On Five (12.30-6.00pm) will round-up all the results and post-race reaction.

Five Live will also have coverage of the last mile of the phenomenally intense 1,000 mile race which will have been going since 2 March.

The competitors are attempting to complete 1,000 miles in 1,000 hours, unaided and on foot.

But what makes the challenge even tougher is that only one mile can be completed in each hour, and each of the 1,000 hours has to be consecutive, reducing the possibility of sleep to a minimum.

Those competitors that reach the final then run the London Marathon to complete the challenge!

The BBC Sport website has a dedicated site for the race at www.bbc.co.uk/marathon.

There is live audio commentary on the day of the race, plus video highlights-on-demand afterwards as well as all the latest news on the elite races and interviews with celebrity competitors.

There is advice on what to eat, the best things to do in the final countdown to the race, plus how to recover after the big day.

The site includes all the facts, figures and history of the race, and tips on the best places to watch the events unfold along the course.

BBC Sport has covered the London Marathon since its inception in 1981 and is the host broadcaster providing pictures for the world.

This year, via BBC Worldwide, the London Marathon will be seen in more than 178 countries, with live coverage of the race seen across the whole of Europe, Asia and Africa from more than 30 cameras along the course capturing every angle of the race.

And BBC World Service will be broadcasting reports from the event around the globe. There will be live updates throughout the race into sports bulletins and longer coverage of highlights and post-race interviews and reaction into Sunday Sportsworld (1600-1700 GMT).

Freeview offers the BBC's eight television channels, interactive services from BBCi, as well as 11 BBC radio networks.

BACK TO THE TOP

PRINTABLE VERSION